The Fastest Girl Alive (revised)
by newsiesgirllaces
Summary: A little girl running from her problems with the same abilities as the Flash causes the speedster to take some interest. And now all he wants to do is help her.
1. Chapter 1

**So in 2011 I wrote a story and now about three years later, I decided to revise it. :) Please enjoy!**

**L.L.A.P**

**~Laces**

Chpt.1

I hated how cold the mornings were and this day was no different. Slowly sitting up, I rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes as I kicked off my tattered blanket.

"Good morning." I told no one in particular. When it's just you alone in the woods, there's nothing much else to do.

Sometimes I wish that I could be like a Disney princess back when I was having a really good day and could watch movies. If I was a Disney princess, then when I woke up Birds could help me with my hair and the mice could show me how to do things and life would be a lot easier.

Unfortunately, I was not a Disney Princess. I was just a girl. A ten year old girl named Lyf.

I dunno why I had such a weird name, and why it was spelled with a Y rather than L-I-F-E. My family's weird, so I suppose they were just trying to be fancy when naming me. That, or they were just lazy.

Whatever the reasons it didn't matter. My name was Lyf and today, I was ten. The big one zero, double digits, two hands and all the fingers, etc.

I looked around the woods, and smiled at my makeshift tent. I made it out of blankets and plastic bags. I managed to pin the plastic bags to the blankets so when it rained, water couldn't leak through. I felt especially smart for figuring that. Aside from that I had multiple old clothes that I had found in bins on the streets that I could wear.

Sure, some of the clothing didn't exactly fit me, but I couldn't just run around being naked.

Looking at my structure in the woods, I couldn't help but smile. Was it dirty? Yes. Did it smell a bit? Yes. Did it collapse sometimes? Yes. But it was better than my old house with my mother. And since the walls were cloth, it didn't feel like they were closing in on me too much.

I was happy.

Grabbing a brush, I ran it through my wavy auburn hair to get out the knots and then I tied it into a pony tail to keep it out of my face and green eyes.

My stomach growled and I stood from my structure.

"I guess I should go get something to eat, huh." I murmured. I stretched a bit, knowing that if I ran without stretching I would cramp up and it'd hurt. I don't like getting hurt very much.

I then made sure that my sweatshirt was zipped up and my clothing was on as tight as possible. I then wiggled my bare toes. I've burned through too many shoes to count.

I started to run, but then tripped. I did that a lot since running took a lot to get used to.

In a blink of an eye, I was out of the woods and in the city.

I didn't like the city much since it was loud and busy and made me feel a bit cramped, but it did have a lot of supplies that I needed.

My stomach let out another growl and I frowned. The more I ran, the hungrier I seemed to get.

Now, I know that stealing is wrong, but it's okay. I saw Aladdin do it and he needed the food to survive, just like how I needed the food. Besides, I only took food that wasn't very expensive.

I watched as a man was serving hot dogs on the streets of the city, and without him noticing, I snatched one.

I even managed a packet of mustard, and I knew that I shouldn't have taken one, but it was my birthday. I had to celebrate somehow.

I devoured the hot dog quickly, sighing in content

"Mmmm." I hummed, sticking my hands in my pockets as I walked barefoot throughout the streets of the city.

I liked walking into the less populated parts because I made me feel less… bad. I can't really explain it, but when I feel to surrounded, my heart beat gets faster and I feel really scared.

I had to keep an eye out for my mother, though, if she were to see me, I could easily run away from her. Running away was much easier than trying to talk to her.

Especially since I'm a fast runner.

"Hey look! It's a homeless girl!" a boy shouted from an ally. He was around my age with some of his friends. If I would guess, I'd say that they were playing hooky.

"How do you know I'm homeless?" I questioned.

"Cuz you smell stinky and you have no shoes." Shouted the other one. I was used to having people make fun of me. I grew up with it.

"Get out of here! We don't want any homeless people in our neighborhood!" one of them exclaimed, throwing a bottle at me.

I dodged, and then I ran. I ran away from violence. I hated the idea of getting hurt by others.

I tripped a bit, but regained my composure and kept running. However, when I ran past a mirror, it felt weird. I got a weird feeling like I was getting tugged to the mirror.

I tried to keep running from the weird pull, but I had to give up. My stomach had nothing else to give me, making me feel dizzy and my feet were starting to hurt from running in place.

I was sucked completely into a mirror and then I ended up in a weird looking bubble-like contraption.

"Finally Flash! There is no chance of you being able to escape my cell. It's impossible! You are no match for me, and you will perish at the hands of MIRROR MASTER!" exclaimed a man wearing a goofy looking green hat and mask with an orange jump suit. He then realized that he caught the wrong person.

"Who are you?" he questioned.

"M-my name's Lyf." I informed, looking at the bubble uneasily since it was so small around me.

"How did you get in here?" he inquired, talking more to himself. He then made his way towards his computer. "I thought for sure that I picked up a supersonic velocity on my instruments." he pondered out loud.

"What's supersonic velocity?" I questioned.

"Basically moving very fast and… ugh. I'm talking to an eight year old." he grumbled pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ten today." I stated, a little brighter since I remembered that it was my birthday again.

"Good for you." He said dryly. He looked at me, clearly puzzled as to what he should do. "Well… I suppose you'll make a good hostage." he shrugged.

"I wanna get out of this bubble thing though. It's… it's really close and I don't like it." I pouted.

"Well you have to deal with it." he stated and I frowned. I figured that maybe if I ran really fast, I could get out of the bubble and away from the weird man.

I quickly started to run, but it was no use. I was stuck.

"I did detect a supersonic velocity." Mirror Master said with a smile once I started to pant, out of breath and hungry. He then questioned, "What are you?"

"… a ten year old girl." I answered. He shook his head.

"How are you able to run so fast?"

"I dunno. I always could. Now could you let me go?" I questioned, tapping my foot impatiently. I really didn't feel comfortable in the bubble.

"I'm sorry my dear, but you are too powerful for me to do that." he grinned evilly. I sighed, feeling more anxious of my space.

"This birthday isn't going so well."


	2. Chapter 2

Chpt.2

"If you do what I say, I won't kill you." Mirror Master stated and I raised an eyebrow at him. Where did he get off thinking he could tell me what to do? I only listened to people I respected and so far, I didn't respect this guy one bit.

"No." I stated, crossing my arms.

"Listen you little brat! I'm willing to kill you to get what I want so you _are _going to listen." He frowned. I paused for a moment, trying to think up what to say.

"Tell me what you want me to do, and I'll think about it." I informed and the man looked at me unamused.

"You'll _think _about it?"

"Yeah, you heard me."

"What part of, 'Do what I say or die' isn't getting through to you!?" he exclaimed and him shouting made me cringe. It brought back some bad memories. However, I tried to hold myself up and I yelled back,

"I don't have to listen to you!"

"Ugh!" Mirror Master huffed in frustration, but then brightened, an idea popping into his head. "If you do one little thing that I ask you, I'll bring you back to your Mommy and Daddy. Would you like that?"

"That's the last thing I want, Mister." I mumbled, glaring at the man. Before the villain could respond, a red blur appeared in the room.

Once the figure was still, I could see a man dressed all in red with a yellow lightning bolt on his chest.

"Kidnapping kids now, Mirror Master? Just when I thought you couldn't get any lower." The man stated, but seemed to be smiling a bit.

"F-flash! How did you find me?" the man questioned, shocked at the heroes arrival.

"Some leads. You're not as elusive as you think you are." Flash smirked with a small shrug. "Now you, ugly, are going to jail."

"You'll have to find me first." Mirror Master smiled, pressing a button on his belt that created duplicates of himself.

However, the Flash was quickly punching the figures like it was all a game, and then hit a solid one, knocking the man out cold.

He then ran up to me and unlocked the case I was in, which made me relax a bit.

"You okay, honey?" Flash inquired, helping me out of the contraption.

"Yeah… I think so." I mumbled, still trying to catch my breath since my heartbeat was still slowing down from being in that enclosed bubble cell.

"What's your name?" he inquired and I looked at the masked man wearily. Could I really trust him? I figured that I probably could since it was just my name.

"Lyf." I answered.

"Okay, Lyf. I'm just gonna take you back to your parents so-"

"No!" I exclaimed, quickly running off. I was swiftly back in the woods, in front of my makeshift home.

"I shouldn't've ran into the city today. I should have just stayed here, where it's safe." I whispered.

Suddenly in a blur of red stood the man who called himself Flash.

"W-who are you? G-G-Get away! Get away!" I exclaimed nervously. I was about to run away when he gripped my hand, making me wince. He was gonna hit me. I knew it.

"Let go of me!" I shouted, trying to squirm out of his hand, but it wasn't working.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Flash stated, his tone gentle and calm, but I wasn't buying it.

"Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before." I grumbled, then finally managed to break free of his hold, and I was quickly trying to run away. However, he ran up next to me, as if my sped was his comfortable jogging pace.

"Listen Lyf, it's alright. I won't do anything to you." Before I could respond, I tripped, making me skid through the land and end up in the mud.

"Are you hurt?" Flash questioned and I stared up at him. I was _terrified _of him. He could run just as fast as I could, if not, faster. He could hurt me so easily.

"Just leave me alone." I stated, trying to stare up at him defiantly and be brave.

"I just want to talk." He said to me in a gentle voice, and as much as I wanted to believe him, I couldn't let myself.

"Well I… I don't." I said as I stood to run again, but had to stop myself from collapsing again. I felt so faint and my stomach grumbled.

"You ran out of fuel, huh?" Flash questioned, but I shivered, thinking back to how I used to be taunted about food. How I was starved.

"What's it to you?" I questioned angrily. I didn't like being picked on. Before I could do or say anything else, I saw what I had tripped on.

It was a red fox and my heart broke just looking at how it was on the ground, panting heavily.

I was quickly by its side.

"I-I'm sorry!" I exclaimed. I knew how it felt being kicked in the ribs and I knew that from how fast I was running that it must've hurt. _A lot_.

I could hear Flash walking up to me and my fear of him briefly vanished.

"Will he be okay? I-I didn't mean to kick him. I didn't. I-I'm so sorry." I frowned, but Flash shook his head.

"It's fine. The fox is just a bit winded is all." Flash informed, which made me relax a bit. At least the fox would be alright.

However, my mind swiftly came back to the situation at hand of getting away from Flash.

I saw that Flash was about to say something but I didn't want to hear it. I just wanted to get away from him. He was a problem and I was going to run away from him, just like my other problems.

However, since I was so focused on the Flash, I wasn't paying attention as I tried to run with what little calories I had left, and I crashed into a tree.

With a loud thud, and a sharp pain shooting through my head, everything started to fade to black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry if anything sounds strange in this chapter. I'm still trying to keep it close to the original, but fix it up at places as well.**

**Enjoy :)**

**L.L.A.P**

**~Laces**

Chpt.3

Blinking my eyes open, I felt confused as to where I was exactly. Underneath me was a comfortable couch and I could hear voices. As I regained more consciousness, I realized that the voices were coming from the television and that Flash was sitting on the couch next to me, watching a cartoon show (Loony Toons to be precise).

My plan was to leave. To gather what was left in my stomach and use it to fuel myself to run as fast as possible.

However, as fast as possible proved to be a small flinch which landed me from the couch to the floor.

"Whoa, awake already?" Flash questioned, helping me off the ground and back onto the couch. "Are you feeling okay? You hit your head pretty hard."

"W-where am I?" I questioned shakily. I felt weak and tired.

"You're at some abandoned warehouse which is acting as my secret hide out until I can find a hideout that I can make my own. This place is being bulldozed in a few months." Flash shrugged. As he spoke, I felt something wet and oily on my thumb. I looked down to see a blue mark.

"What d-did you do to my thumb?" I questioned.

"I just wanted to find out who you are. No need to get so worried." He said calmly, but I was feeling anything but calm.

"I-I told you my name, wasn't that enough?"

"Look, when someone has the same abilities as me, it makes me curious. We could be family."

"I don't want family. Family isn't good. They leave and hurt and… and I-I just want to be left alone." I stated and I felt like I was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, it's okay. Alright? I don't want to make you scared. Let's just talk through this." Flash said calmly. He moved to touch me, but I flinched away from him. "I read some stuff about you. Your mother is looking everywhere for you. She's worried sick."

"I'm not going back to her! I can't! D-don't make me!" I shook a bit. "Please, don't bring me back to her."

"Why? Why not?" Flash questioned, his voice remaining calm. I stared at him for a moment, unsure if I should say anything. However, what else could I do?

"She… she isn't good." I frowned, looking away from him. Could I tell Flash what all that woman did to me? I wrapped my arms around myself, just thinking about what she would do made me cringe in fear.

"Can you be more specific? How isn't she good, Lyf?" Flash questioned slowly.

"She… hurt me. A lot." I whispered, still looking at a spot on the ground rather at the man.

"Did she… hit you?" Flash inquired, and I nodded. "Did she do anything else?"

"She wouldn't give me food sometimes." I whispered. "And she would lock me in the closet. And… i-it wasn't good. It hurt." I said. I hated recounting the things that the woman did to me. It filled me with a feeling of dread and fear, but all I wanted to be was happy.

"Alright Lyf. She hurt you. Do you have any proof of her attacks?" Flash inquired. I looked down at my sweatshirt and unzipped it, showing the healing cuts and scars on my skin. I could see Flash's eyes widen at the sight of my scars.

"Lyf, these are knife wounds." He informed, his voice full of shock.

"… yeah." I whispered with a small nod.

Flash reached towards me and I flinched again, but this time he didn't pull back. He wrapped his arms around me in a squeeze but it wasn't a painful squeeze. It was a… nice squeeze. It took me a moment to realize that he was hugging me.

It was so nice. Arms around me just holding me, no harm coming to me. I couldn't help but relax against his chest and I could feel tears well up in my eyes and spill down my cheeks.

Crying was something I didn't do often. However, that hug, that human contact that didn't become pain, was wonderful.

"Lyf, how long have you been living on your own?" Flash inquired.

"Two months." I whispered, still keeping myself in the hug and he didn't let go.

"Where have you been living? That place in the woods?"

"Yes." I answered in a softer voice since my throat hurt a bit from my crying.

It was quiet for a while aside from the television in the background. I still felt weak and just relaxing against Flash felt nice.

"Why the woods, Lyf?" Flash questioned, but he didn't sound upset, just genuinely curious.

"B-because people are mean everywhere else." I said, and I could feel Flash sigh.

"Lyf, not everyone is like your Mom. Most people would call what your Mom did horrible and despicable." Flash informed.

Just then, a beeping sound came from a machine in the room. Flash didn't let me go as he ran to the machine and back to the couch in a blink of an eye holding papers in his hands.

"W-what's that?" I questioned. I was grateful that Flash didn't break the hug, because it was really nice, but I was still a bit apprehensive about the man.

"Some more info about you. I sent your thumbprint to a friend of mine and he faxed me back what he found." Flash informed and his eyes scanned over the papers. I was silent, not knowing how to respond to what he said. He then questioned,

"Your Dad. What do you know about him?"

"He left and I'm pretty sure that he got sick and died." I informed slowly. All I knew about my Dad other than that was that he was a bit of a loner. I couldn't help but be angry that he left me with my mom. I wished he took me with him, wherever he went.

"He was my cousin." Flash whispered. "Meaning you are a part of my family."

I looked at Flash, surprised. Family? Other than my mother?

"S-so what now?" I questioned.

"Now, we get your mother arrested for child abuse." Flash informed and I pulled out of the nice hug to stare at him.

"She can be arrested?"

"Of course." Flash beamed. I smiled back, but then started thinking out loud.

"So… once that happens, does that mean I could live in the woods again?"

"Well, living in the woods isn't the healthiest of things, Lyf. And to get your mother arrested, the law is going to want to know if you're in safe hands." He explained, and I frowned.

"So someone would have to want me?" I shook my head, remembering all the things my mother used to say to me. "Flash, I… I don't think that's going to happen." I frowned, but Flash grinned and ruffled my hair.

"What are you talking about? Since I'm your relative, I can gain custody of you, and you could stay with me." Flash stated.

"Wait, you want me?" I inquired. I was always told that my existence was a hassle and that I was unwanted. Now I was?

"Of course. You're family, and family sticks together." Flash smiled at me and I looked up at him through my tears.

"Th-this is crazy. Everything is moving so fast." I whispered. One moment I was homeless and my mother was unstoppable, and then the next I had a family with a member that wanted to take care of me and my mother could be arrested. It was mind boggling.

"I can understand that, but everything will be okay. You're with Uncle Wally now." He said in a gentle voice.

"Wally?" I looked at him perplexed.

"Yeah, secret identity and all that. Our family has a lot of them." He grinned and he slid the mask off of his face. he had light blue eyes and short red hair. He looked a bit like the pictures I saw of my dad.

"Now, before we call the police and report what the problem is and all that, how about we eat? I'm starving and I'm sure you are too." Flash, or should I say Wally, gave me a burger.

"…Thanks." I whispered, still in some shock.

"No problem, and if you want more, just help yourself." Wally pointed to the fridge. "I buy in bulk."

I couldn't believe what was happening. It was like a dream. A dream that I _didn't _want to wake up from.


	4. Chapter 4

Chpt.4

The police arrested my mother and the court case was scheduled a week afterwards. I wasn't there when the police arrested her, but I was okay with that. I never wanted to see her again.

However, Flash… or I should say, Wally, told me that I would have to testify in the court, which was a new and terrifying thing to me.

I would have to stand up in front of a group of people and answer various questions and explain what my mother did to me, all the while she would be in the same room, most likely glaring daggers at me.

Not only that, but Wally told me that if my mother wasn't found guilty in the case, I would be sent back to her.

"Don't worry." Wally smiled at me. "Your mother won't get custody of you. I'll make sure that that doesn't happen."

He smiled at me so reassuringly, yet I was so scared.

"Let's head to my apartment. I have a guest room that you can use." He smiled, and I silently nodded, still a bit in shock from what was all going on.

In a blink of an eye, Wally lifted me up in his arms, sprinted to his apartment, and the next thing I knew, I was in a comfy looking living room.

"This is your apartment?" I inquired, scanning the place with my eyes. It was ordinary, but I liked it. It was a comfortable type of ordinary.

"Yup. Home sweet home." He shrugged. "I'll give you the grand tour of the place." he placed a hand on my shoulder and showed me around the home.

"This is the kitchen. I'm not the best at cooking, but I can get some stuff right. This is the living room. The television has cable and it's great. Here's my bedroom." I looked at the room, and yet again, it looked so normal. A few clothes lying about here or there and his bed was unmade, but aside from that, it wasn't entirely messy.

"This is the bathroom. And this is the guest room." He smiled, opening the door to a plain looking bedroom with blue walls and an average size bed.

"And… I'll be staying here?" I inquired, and Wally nodded.

"Yeah. Is this alright with you?"

"Yes. Yes, it's wonderful. Just… this room is really big." I looked around at the guest room in surprise. My mom never let me sleep in a room so big.

"Is that a problem?" Wally inquired, concern on his face, ready to fix something.

"No. No not a problem at all. It's… wonderful." I whispered, smiling.

"Do you want to take a shower? I can give you some of my old clothes for you to wear when you get out and tomorrow we can get you some new clothes." Wally suggested, and I nodded.

It had been some time since I had a shower. Yes, I did wash myself in showers at gyms, but I always had to be quick and I didn't get them regularly.

After Wally showed me how to work the hot and cold knobs in the bathroom, I hoped into the shower and smiled at how warm it felt and I liked how I didn't feel so rushed.

I made sure to wash with the soap, and I giggled at the suds that formed over my arms.

Once I finished, I opened the shower curtain to see a towel and some clothes that were folded up for me.

I quickly dried myself with the soft towel, and then I went to putting on the clothes. I still had my underwear, but aside from that, Wally had left out a pair of mesh shorts with a draw string and a t-shirt that had bubble words stating: I LOVE CENTRAL CITY.

I tied the shorts as tightly as I could around my waist, and the t-shirt hung off my thin frame.

However, I didn't care. It was comfy and stayed on.

I padded out of the bathroom and into the living room, where Wally was hanging up a phone. He turned around once he heard me enter and the room and smiled.

"Hey Lyf. I guess the smallest t-shirt wasn't small enough, huh?" he chuckled a bit.

"It's very comfortable, Uncle Wally. Thank you for everything." I stated, playing a bit with the bottom of the shirt while testing out the name Wally told me to call him. Uncle Wally. I liked it.

Wally just grinned as he knelt down to be almost the same height as me.

"Tomorrow I'll make sure you get some better fitting clothes. But for now, do you want to head to bed? It's been a long day."

"Yes, please." I nodded.

Wally actually tucked me into bed. He patted my head gently, gave me a hug, and then made sure the blanket was around me comfortably.

"Goodnight." I whispered.

"Goodnight." He repeated, and then closed the door to the room.

I fell asleep before I could even hear Wally's footsteps walk away.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a scream caught in my throat. I had a nightmare. I had a terrifying nightmare that was just on the cusp of memory. All I could really remember from it was my mother's smiling face. That was it, but it was enough to scare me.

It apparently was enough to make me do something else too.

Kicking the blanket off of me and turning on the lamp on the side table, I frowned at the sight of a pool of liquid on the blankets and clingy uncomfortably to my legs, through my underwear, and through Wally's pants.

I stared down at the mess wide eyed, unsure of what to do.

_I… I don't know how to fix this! This must be why mother didn't like it when I slept on beds. Ohnoohnoohno! Maybe I can wash the sheets. But how? With what? And how can I do so without waking up Wally. Oh no Wally! I can't tell him! He might kick me out if I tell him I did this! I don't want him to kick me out! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! _I thought and as I continued to imagine all the awful things Wally could do since I wet the bed, I started crying.

This was too much. It was as if this one day flipped my life upside down and all it'd take to ruin the day would be one wet bed.

"Lyf?" I looked up to see Wally in the doorway of the guestroom. "I had to use the bathroom and I saw that your light was on from underneath the door." He explained, but as he got closer, he noticed the tears in my eyes and the moister on the bed.

"Did you wet the bed?" he questioned and then the tears started dripping down my cheeks faster as I slowly nodded my head.

"Shhh, no need to cry, Lyf." Wally smiled, kissing me on the top of my head, making me go stiff.

"Y-you aren't upset?" I inquired softly.

"Of course not. Stuff like this happens." Wally shrugged. "Now, I'll lend you another pair of pants and start a load of wash. Meanwhile, you can wash up. Does that sound good?" he questioned and I slowly nodded.

We made quick work as I scrubbed myself off in the bathroom while Wally started washing the sheets. He also made sure to hand me a new pair of shorts, which I quickly changed into.

Once done, Wally made the two of us some hot chocolate and we sat on the couch to drink.

"So, did you have a bad dream?" Wally inquired as we drank.

"Yeah. I did." I nodded, shivering a bit even though the hot chocolate made me warm.

"What about?" he inquired. I fiddled with the mug in my hand for a bit, but Wally seemed content to wait for my answer.

"I can't remember. I just remember my mom… smiling. I hate it." I whispered, feeling my shoulders slump as I started to close in on myself.

A woman smiling didn't sound very scary, but for me, it was terrifying.

_I'm so pathetic. _I thought with a frown.

"Lyf," I felt Wally place his hand on my shoulder, but it caused me to jump. I wasn't expecting him to touch me, so I got scared.

The thought of my mother grabbing my shoulder to turn me around so she could aim at my face better crossed my mind.

However, when Wally grabbed my shoulder, it was just to make me turn around so he could hug me.

"It'll be alright, Lyf. I won't let her get you. You're safe here." Wally said as he rocked me back and forth in his arms. It was a comforting and relaxing feeling.

I clutched onto Wally tightly and I could hear his heartbeat when I leaned my head on his chest. It was a soothing to hear his heart beat a steady _thump-thump thump-thump_. I blinked my eyes several times, but found it hard to keep them open.

Soon enough, I was slipping into sleep with Wally holding onto me as I did.


	5. Chapter 5

Chpt.5

"Should we wake her up?"

"Shayera, she looks so peaceful. Just give her some time, she had a rough night."

"A rough night?"

"She had a nightmare. Her mom is really getting to her."

"I can understand why. This must be so stressful to her."

"Well, I'm just trying to help her de-stress. Once all the paper work and court stuff is done, then everything should be relatively smooth sailing."

"Do you know anything about child abuse?"

"I googled it."

"Well, I've done some extensive research. You need to treat this girl with care, Wally. Not just your usual Flash care, but extensive care. Her physical scars may heal, but her mental ones will take much more time."

I could hear people talking. A man's voice who I recognized as Wally's and a woman's voice, who I didn't recognize. I woke up on the couch, where I had dozed off hugging Wally the night before.

"Uncle Wally…?" I didn't know why I found myself calling for him quietly, but I felt pretty lonely waking up hearing him, but not seeing him.

"Hey squirt."

Wally was standing behind the couch in the living room but was quickly in front of me. I felt his arms coming towards me and I tensed for a moment, but he paused and slowly his hands were back at his side.

"Can I give you a good morning hug?" he questioned, and I slowly nodded. A hug didn't sound too bad.

Wally felt warm and part of me considered going to sleep again, but I immediately tensed when behind Wally, I could see a woman with red hair, tan skin, and green eyes.

"Wh-who are you?" I questioned, breaking away from Wally's hug to back up into the couch a bit more.

_Is she a friend of Wally's? Will she try to hurt me? Is she some sort of lawyer for the case? Just who… wait… are those wings? _

I stared at the woman in shock when I realized that she indeed had gray feathery wings protruding from her back.

"Are you an angel?" I inquired in a quiet voice.

"Not entirely. I'm an alien from a different planet." The woman informed, but smiled gently at me. "My name's Shayera."

"She's a really close friend of mine." Wally informed gently. "She's also a superhero called hawkgirl. I was hoping that she could take you shopping to get you some clothes while I make some phone calls about the court case.

I looked over at Shayera wearily, then back at Wally.

"You really trust her?" I questioned and Wally grinned while nodding his head.

"Yes, I really do. She's a wonderful woman and one of my best friends. She won't let anything bad happen to you. Alright?"

I slowly nodded my head.

"Okay."

"Great, now how about you get changed into some clothes Shayera brought over for you to wear and then eat some breakfast. I made some pancakes." Wally informed happily and I found myself smiling at him.

I hoped that Shayera would be nice. I really really hoped so.

~*~*~*~Later~*~*~*~

Shayera's voice was gentle, but there was most definitely a roughness to it as well. But I liked it. Her voice was so different from my mother's who's voice held nothing but anger yet managed to sound sugary sweet all the time.

Shayera really wasn't much like my mother and I was grateful for that.

She would show me different clothes and would ask me what clothes I liked, which came as a shock to me.

_She… she's letting me choose what clothes I want? _I remember mother telling me how stupid I looked and some days when she said some of the clothes I wore smelled she'd throw some clothes at me and told me that if I didn't like them then it was too bad.

"I… get to choose?" I inquired softly. I didn't want to mishear and then get yelled at when I told her what clothing I liked.

"Of course. You're going to be the one wearing them after all." The woman informed matter-of-factly with a shrug. Seeing her shrug was interesting because she hid her wings so when she shrugged she looked a bit stiff.

"I… I guess you're right."

With that I quickly became the proud owner of some jeans, and t-shirts with animals on them and some warm jackets for the cooler season and some scarves too.

"Thank you so much." I smiled up at Shayera.

"Not a problem, Lyf." Shayera grinned at me, her smile small but warm. "Do you want to get a haircut while we're out?"

"A haircut?"

"Yes, where they can cut your hair to make it healthy and into a style you want." She informed.

I thought it over for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Alright… that sounds good."

I soon found myself in a store with strange looking chairs and pictures of woman and their hair.

Next thing I knew, I was sitting in a large chair with a woman I didn't quite know and she had something sharp in her hands.

And that sharp item was coming towards my head.

My eyes focused on the object and I could see that they were scissors. Suddenly I was in the past.

_"__You worthless rat!"_

_ "__Mom p-please put the scissors down!"_

_ "__Don't you raise your voice at me!"_

_ "__Agh!" _

I still had a scar in my thigh from where she stabbed me.

I was shaking and shuddering in a corner of the room. Somehow I ran out of the chair.

People were staring at me in shock, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be safe… I wanted Wally.

"Hey, Lyf." It was Shayera's voice. "Why'd you run away?" her voice was smooth and didn't sound very angry.

"I… the scissors… and it hurt." I mumbled.

"What hurt? The scissors didn't even cut your hair."

"I… in my leg… mother." Something seemed to click in Shayera's mind because her face looked a little angrier, making me cringe.

"Lyf, this woman will just cut your hair. No one will hurt you with scissors, do you understand?" she questioned and I slowly nodded.

"Good. Do you want to sit back in the chair so the lady can continue cutting your hair?" Shayera questioned.

"O-only if you'll stand next to me. please… I don't…" I didn't have words to describe the terrified feeling in my gut, but Shayera seemed to understand.

"Of course, I'll be next to you the entire time." she informed in her gentle voice.

I was back on the chair and the woman had her scissors poised to cut. Shayera was crouched in front of me, holding my hand. I squeezed her hand tight when I heard the snipping near my ears, but I didn't feel any pain.

Soon my auburn hair was feeling lighter pieces of it littered the ground. I was given a simple haircut with the length stopping a bit under my shoulder and my curls were more defined. There wasn't so much hair that got in my face either since they gave me something called layers.

"Look at you." Shayera smiled.

_"__Look at you. Pathetic and ugly is what you are. You're lucky that I let you stay here and feed you. To think something as worthless as you came out of me." _my mother's voice echoed in my head and I shuddered. However, Shayera continued,

"You're so beautiful."

I looked up at her in shock.

"Beautiful?"

"Yes, I can see your lovely face and your eyes are so bright." She grinned. I leaped toward her, hugging her as tightly as I could.

"Thank you." I smiled and I felt her arms wrap around me in a hug. I felt tears prickling the corners of my eyes, but I willed myself not to start crying. "Thank you so much."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for taking forever to update! Please enjoy and constructive criticism would be nice**

**L.L.A.P**

**~Laces**

Chpt.6

When Shayera and I returned to the apartment, Wally was talking on the phone with someone.

"Really? You'd do that?" he beamed, talking into the phone. After a pause his smile seemed to grow brighter. "That's perfect. Thank you, we'll talk later."

With that, Wally hung up the phone and looked over at Shayera and I.

"How'd the shopping go?" he questioned, and I grinned at him happily.

"It was great." I said, but that was such an understatement. I just didn't know the words to explain how absolutely wonderful it was and how Shayera was such a great person. I didn't expect to enjoy spending time with her.

"Wonderful to hear." Wally smiled, but then his eyes focused on my face. "Hey, did you also get a haircut?" he inquired and I nodded. "You look wonderful, I can see your eyes a lot more now." Wally smiled at me.

I wasn't used to being told that I looked good. It made me feel pretty happy.

"Thank you, Shayera took me to get it cut." I informed, looking up at the woman with a smile. I really did like Shayera.

"That's good to hear." Wally grinned, his eyes moving from me to Shayera.

"Who'd you just get off the phone with?" she questioned, an eyebrow raised and Wally chuckled.

"Bruce. He says that he'll come over soon with a lawyer for the court case." Wally informed. "The brooding guy _can _have a heart sometimes."

Before I could ask who Bruce was, Wally's attention was back on me.

"Are you hungry, Lyf?"

The question took me off guard, since I wasn't really that used to people being concerned about me. Was I hungry? Yes… I was. But I wasn't entirely sure if that was something that Wally wanted to hear.

I thought that maybe he was just asking to be nice.

"Uh…" I bit my bottom lip with some worry. I honestly didn't know how to respond.

"Lyf?" he questioned when I didn't say anything, and my heart started thudding faster in my chest.

_Oh god is he getting impatient with me? I hope not. I don't know what to say. Do I say I'm hungry? Would he be okay with that? Or do I just say that I'm fine. but that would be lying. Could he tell if I'm lying? What should I do? WHAT SHOULD I DO? _I thought, feeling my hands start to shake.

"Hey." Shayera was kneeling down next to me and she placed a hand on my shoulder, grounding me to the moment and taking me out of my thoughts. "Lyf, please tell Wally if you want something. Okay?" she said gently.

"But… I shouldn't want… wanting is greedy…" I whispered, remembering my mother hitting me as she shouted how wanting was bad. I wasn't supposed to want. I was supposed to accept what was given to me and like it.

_"__You're already a brat, but I won't let you become a spoiled brat! Be happy that I'm giving you food and stop complaining about what you don't like about it. Do you want me to punish you for being so rude?" mother's hand brushed over a knife in the kitchen, making me stiffen._

_ "__N-no. I like this food. I promise." I nodded eagerly as I took a bite into the moldy bread, trying not to grimace at the taste. _

"Lyf, wanting isn't greedy." Wally stated, tearing me out of my thoughts and walking closer to me. "especially if it's something you need, like food. So, please tell me, are you hungry?" he inquired, and I slowly nodded.

"Yes… I'm hungry." I whispered. "I'm sorry I…"

"Don't be sorry, Lyf." Shayera stated quickly, placing a warm comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I'll call in some pizza, what type of toppings do you like?" Wally inquired, giving me a warm smile, but I felt dazed.

"… toppings?" I questioned.

Wally calmly explained what toppings were to me and I nodded in comprehension, asking if I could have some mushrooms on the pizza.

This niceness was so weird for me to get used to, and I sat on Wally's couch as he called for the Pizza. Shayera sat next to me, but then she got a text message informing her that she had to go do something that required her full attention.

"I'll be back soon." She said, giving me a nice hug, then waving goodbye to Wally, who was on hold on the phone.

I continued to sit on the couch, and my eye lids started to droop as I felt a bit tired. Leaning back, I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

_"__Stop!"_

_ "__Shut up!"_

_ "__Please stop!"_

_ "__Worthless brat!"_

_ "__Don't-"_

"Lyf?" I felt a hand grasp my shoulder and my eyes bolted open as I struggled against the grip.

"NO! DON'T! PLEASE!" I shouted, shaking and trying to run away.

"Lyf. Lyf it's me. It's Wally." My brain caught up with my surroundings as to what was going on, and I was relieved to see Wally in front of me. However, I still felt fear swirling in the pit of my stomach and my mother's voice was echoing in my head.

"Wally." I whispered, and he smiled at me.

"Yeah Lyf. It's me. Can I hug you?" he questioned, and I nodded. Wally wrapped his arms around me while rocking a bit and I clutched onto him tightly. I trusted him. I didn't like how I trusted him because if he ever chose to betray me, then I had no clue how I'd be able to come back from it.

I just wanted Wally to hold me and keep the traces in my memory of my mother far away.

"It was just a nightmare, Lyf." Wally spoke in a gentle voice. "You're safe here. You're safe. There's no reason for you to be afraid." I listened to his voice, letting his words calm me down.

"I just want her to go away." I whispered, shaking. "I just want her to get out of my head and leave me alone. She scares me."

"It'll get better Lyf, I'll make sure of it." Wally stated, and I believed him. I believed him with every fiber of my being, which frightened me. Since when was I so trusting?

After a while of Wally hugging me, the doorbell rang.

"Pizza's here. You're still hungry, right?" Wally questioned, and I nodded.

"Great, I'll get the pizza." He smiled at me, then answered the door where he paid for the pizza.

I swiftly devoured slice after slice and Wally chuckled.

"Good?"

"Great." I smiled, swallowing the food in my mouth before I spoke, then returned to eating the pizza.

Wally ate just as fast and as much as I did, which made me happy because mother would always yell at me for being a greedy eater. At least I wasn't the only one out there who ate so fast and so much.

"Thank you for the pizza, Wally." I sighed, my stomach full and I felt like I was on cloud nine. Wally looked the same as me, smiling as he leaned back on the couch.

"No problem, Lyf. Pizza's one of my favorite foods." He grinned, then looked at me a bit more seriously.

"Speaking of which, what's your favorite food? And are there any foods that you're allergic to?" he questioned, and I shook my head.

"I'm not allergic to any foods that I know of. And… I don't really have a favorite food. I liked the ice cream." I shrugged. I never really had much of a selection of food at home. I ate stuff just trying to be full and not die of hunger. I hated the feeling of hunger.

Wally must have seen the sadder look on my face.

"Hey, I can take you out to different restaurants and stuff and we can find out what your favorite food is." He informed with a smile. "It'll be great."

"Thanks Wally." I smile at him. "That sounds like fun."

Just then Wally's phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello? Oh hey Bruce I- _what_? Now? I didn't know… you… uh, okay. Just give me a moment." Wally stated, then looked over at me.

"Hey Lyf, a friend of mine is going to see us in about twenty minutes with a lawyer to talk to you. Sorry I didn't give you much of a heads up." Wally frowned and muttered, "to be honest, he didn't give me much heads up either."

"It… it's okay. I mean, if it's gonna help me in the case then it's fine. I don't want to be sent back so…"

"You won't be sent back." Wally stated, his tone serious. "I promise."

I nodded. He didn't have to keep reminding me how he wasn't going to let me go back to her, but I was happy that he kept saying it. It eased my nerves and made me feel… nice. Cared for. I never really had been cared for in my life. I really liked it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chpt.7

I didn't know what to think of the two people who were welcomed into Wally's apartment. There was a tall man who was well dressed in a suit. His eyes were incredibly blue and his hair was raven black. He appeared kind but there was something about him… almost like he was a nice person but just grumpy from not sleeping well or something.

Next to the man was a tall woman who was beautiful. Her skin was a darker tone and her brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail without a strand out of place.

"Lyf, can you come over here?" Wally questioned in his kind voice. I had yet to move, still afraid about what those two new people could possibly do to me.

However, Wally said that they were good people so, taking in a breath to calm my erratic heartbeat, I stepped forward to meet the new people.

"H-hello." I gave a small wave and both the man and woman smiled at me, the woman's smile was much larger than the man's.

"Hello Lyf, it's nice to meet you." The man grinned, sticking his hand out. At first I was concerned about what he wanted me to do but once I gave him my hand, he shook it, just like I had seen in movies. "My name is Mister Bruce Wayne. This is the lawyer I brought, Miss Kate Spencer."

"I'm pleased to meet you Lyf." The woman knelt down and also shook my hand.

"I-It's nice to m-meet you two too." I stuttered out. I didn't know why I was still nervous, but I didn't want to fully trust these people yet.

Wally had Mr. Wayne and Ms. Spencer walked further into his apartment and have a seat on the couch, where they started to discuss things. I sat next to Wally, but I didn't exactly know what they were talking about. It was something about the courts, but they used really big words and I didn't feel like trying to understand. So I just sat next to Wally and relaxed, spacing out for a little bit.

"Lyf?" I broke out of my trance and looked up at Wally.

"W-What?" I questioned. He smiled at me and patted my head, not angry about my lack of paying attention.

"Ms. Spence has a few questions she wants to ask you to help with the court case. Mr. Wayne and I are going to leave you two so you can talk. Are you okay with that?" he questioned.

I wasn't. I didn't want to be left with this woman I hardly knew and away from Wally because Wally was everything safe and warm. However, I knew that this was probably important to the court case and that if I wanted to continue staying with Wally, it'd be a good idea to talk to the woman.

"A-Alright. You won't be too far away, right?" Wally gave me a comforting smile.

"I won't be far away at all." With that, he and Bruce left the room, leaving me with the woman.

"Hello Lyf. Now, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that you are not returned to your mother." She stated and I smiled at her.

"Th-thank you."

"However, you need to tell me what she did to you so I can further your cause in the courtroom." Ms. Spencer stated, and I stared at the woman, wide eyed.

"You want to know _everything _she did to me?" I questioned, my voice soft.

"Yes. But take your time, alright? You don't have anything to be afraid of." I chewed on my bottom lip nervously, then said,

"She hit me a lot. With her hands, with a pan, with a beer bottle. Whatever she really could find, that's what she would hit me with."

"Where would she hit you?" Ms. Spencer inquired. The images of my mother hurting me rushed through my head, causing me to shake at the memory.

"Sh-she hit me wherever she could. My head. My arms. My back. I'd dodge a lot but she'd eventually grab me. She didn't f-feed me a lot so I wouldn't be strong enough to run away." I shuttered, remembering the feeling of my stomach growling in pain and my mother's teasing voice when she would ask me if I was hungry.

"I… see." Ms. Spencer nodded her head, but looked kind of angry. It wasn't showing much in her face, just in her eyes. It made me anxious.

"She cut me sometimes too. With knives or scissors. I'd sleep in a closet that she'd lock me in. Sometimes she forgot to unlock it." I whispered that last sentence, remembering sweating in the hot closet and pounding on the door, trying to get out. "I… I don't like it… I don't like this." I whispered, shaking, thinking about what my mother did to me made me scared. I could feel tears running down my cheeks and Ms. Spencer grasped my hand, making me jump.

"Thank you for telling me this. I know that it must be difficult, but you're okay here, Lyf. You're okay." Ms. Spencer spoke to me in a soft voice that made me relax a bit.

"I… Is there anything else you want to know?" I inquired. I wanted this to be over. I wanted Wally.

"If you have any scars, can I take pictures of them to show to the court as evidence?" Ms. Spencer inquired. I slowly nodded, rolling up my sleeves and pant legs so she could see my scars. I wasn't used to people looking at my scars since I usually tried to cover them up. It made me want to curl up into myself, but Wally said that this would help with the court case. If I wanted to stay with Wally, then I needed to do this.

Ms. Spencer took the pictures and once she was finished I questioned,

"I-Is there anything else?" Ms. Spencer stared at me for a moment and then inquired in a gentle voice,

"You have more scars, don't you?"

I could hear the small gasp I let out and I instinctively brought my hands to rest on my stomach and ribs.

"N-no." I whispered, shaking my head. "No. Please. I don't want you to see them. I-I don't want anyone to see them. The scars on my arms are enough, right? Please… please I don't… I want… I don't like this… Wally. I want Uncle Wally. I'm sorry… I'm s-sorry… Wally… Wally." That's when I ran. Before Ms. Spencer could say a single word I sprinted out of the room into the hall where Wally and Mr. Wayne were.

I clutched onto Wally's leg as I shook and cried.

It was obvious that Wally was taken of guard at first, but then he lifted me up and patted my back.

"Shhh. Lyf. It's alright. It's okay." He hugged me and kept whispering nice things to try to ease my fears.

I knew that he was with Mr. Wayne, but I honestly couldn't care at the moment. I just wanted to hug Wally since he made me feel so safe.

"What happened?" I heard Mr. Wayne question, however Ms. Spencer was suddenly in the doorway.

"I asked a sensitive question." She sighed, sounding apologetic.

Wally, carrying me, went back into the apartment with Ms. Spencer and Mr. Wayne.

"I'm sorry if I scared you Lyf. That was not my intention." She informed, her voice gentle and kind.

"I-It's alright." Looking back on it, I figured that I must have seemed ridiculous getting so worked up over taking a picture of my other scars. It was just… not only did I not want other people to see them, but not even _I _liked seeing them. "I guess I over reacted, I just… I don't like them."

"Don't like what, Lyf?" Mr. Wayne questioned.

"My other scars on my stomach and ribs." I informed as Wally put me down on the ground and he looked at me with worry.

"You have more scars?" his voice sounded sad, so I didn't want to lie to him.

"Yeah… I do." I then looked over at Ms. Spencer. "Would having pictures of my other scars be really important in the court room?"

"Ideally, yes it would be." Ms. Spenser answered. "However, if it makes you uncomfortable-"

"I'll show you." I sighed, cutting her off. "I don't want to go back to my mother, so I'll show you."

My fingers shook as I grabbed the hem of my shirt and lift it up revealing my stomach. I heard an audible gasp from Ms. Spencer and I flinched a bit, but kept the shirt up so she could take the picture.

I knew what they all were looking at.

They saw long scars that ran all over and one particular scar that my mother had carved into my skin. It spelled out the word,

_Worthless _


	8. Chapter 8

Chpt.8

"That woman deserves the chair." Ms. Spencer hissed, her face full of anger. However, Mr. Wayne put a hand on her shoulder and shot her a warning look.

"Kate." He stated, as if just saying her name would dissuade her from whatever she was thinking. However, he did look pretty intimidating so I understood why the anger is Ms. Spencer's face drained a bit. However it never left her eyes.

I quickly pulled my shirt down after Ms. Spencer took the pictures and Wally was hugging me tightly.

"How could she… I don't…" he seemed to be having trouble wrapping his mind around what I had been through.

"I just want to forget." I said, leaning into the hug. Everyone in the room was silent and I felt bad for making everything so sad. I didn't want anyone to see my scars. I hated to look at them too, so I just wanted to keep people from seeing them.

"Lyf, why did your mother treat you like that?" Mr. Wayne inquired. When I looked up at him I could see that he was clearly worried about what all went on when I was in the house with my mother.

"She… she hates me. She hated how my father wouldn't let her get an abortion. She hated how I looked so much like him. She hated how much money it cost to raise me. She hated me for a lot of things that I couldn't really help. Then Dad left her and she hated me for that, saying it was my fault. Without Dad money got even more tight then it was and I became really worthless in her opinion. I couldn't work for money and I couldn't do anything right. The only reason why she wanted to keep me was because…" I bit my lip. I didn't like the truth behind why she kept me around. "Being a single mother apparently helped with paying taxes and getting sympathy from people when it came to getting jobs and free stuff. She also told me that for as much stress I gave her, I also made for a good stress relief."

_"__Nothing's more fun than I moving punching bag." _her voice echoed in my head, making me shutter.

"Most of my scars are from when she was drunk." I continued. "She was the most violent when she was drunk. She'd cry sometimes though. As she would stab me or scratch me with a broken bottle she'd just cry."

"You will not be going back to her." Ms. Spencer stated sternly, her jaw clenched. She looked _really _angry. "I will do everything in my power to guarantee that."

"Th-thank you." I nodded.

"We'll be in town if you need us before the case." Mr. Wayne said to Wally and Wally smiled at the older man.

"Thanks Bruce."

With that, the two strangers left and Wally looked over at me.

"Lyf, you know that you're not worthless, right?" I was surprised by the question. I honestly wasn't expecting that to be the first thing out of his mouth once the others left.

"W-What?" Wally knelt down to be at eye level with me.

"What your mother did to you is horrible and I want you to know that you are not worthless." Wally stated, his voice firm and serious. I shifted back and forth on my feet.

Telling myself that I wasn't worthless was something I did every time I had the misfortune of seeing my scar. Whether or not I believed myself was a different case entirely.

"Thanks, Uncle Wally… for everything."

"You're frowning." Wally stated. "How about we change that. Are you up for some ice cream?" he inquired and I quickly smiled at him.

"That sounds great."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

After eating some ice cream (I had strawberry and I loved it) Shayera returned from wherever she went before.

"Shayera!" I smiled, hugging her tightly and she kissed me on the head and returned the hug.

"Hey, there. Sorry I was gone for a while. How was your day?" she inquired. My mind flashed back to what it was like earlier when I showed my scars to everyone. I tried pushing the thought out of my mind and quickly shrugged.

"It was alright… Uncle Wally and I ate some ice cream." Shayera looked at me, then at Wally curiously. She obviously could tell that I wasn't telling her something, which made me worried. It made me feel like I was lying to her, and I didn't want to lie. Lying always ended with a lot of pain.

"What type of ice cream did you have?" Shayera questioned, not pressing the fact that I was avoiding something.

"Strawberry." I said with a smile, feeling my dread start to ease.

Everything else went so unbelievably smoothly. We all watched a movie together, Shayera, Wally, and I. It was called Lilo and Stitch.

It was about an Alien who was very mean who met a little girl who was strange and the two become a family and the alien becomes the girl's friend when she had none and she made him a lot nicer.

I really liked that movie.

After the movie and some dinner, Wally tucked me into bed.

"Goodnight, Lyf."

"Goodnight Uncle Wally." I grinned, then drifted to sleep.

I loved this. I loved being so warm and loved and happy. It was something I could get used to very quickly, but I always had to pull myself back.

There was still the possibility of having to go back to my mother.

_"__Please, let my little baby come back. I miss her so much." I could see my mother pleading, tears in her eyes. _

_The judge sat tall and he slowly nodded his head. _

_ "__I see. Then I find the defendant not guilty. The child may be returned to her." He bellowed and I could feel my heart sink._

_ "__W-Wait. No! She hurt me! Please I don't want to-"_

_ "__What I rule is final!" the judge exclaimed, and I felt myself get shoved into the harsh grip of my mother. _

_ "__Thank you so much your honor." My mother smiled and I tried to fight my way out of her grip. _

_ "__No! N-no! Wally! Wally help me!" I screamed desperately tears in my eyes. _

_I saw Wally, Shayera, Ms. Spencer, and Mr. Wayne standing only feet away. Wally shrugged._

_ "__Sorry Lyf, but she won. There's not much else we can do." He informed and I stare at him in disbelief._

_ "__B-but… I… I thought…"_

_ "__Well, you thought wrong, Lyf. You shouldn't have gotten so comfortable." Wally informed matter-of-factly. _

_ "__Please… p-please…" I was crying as I watched Wally and everyone leave. "Please…" _

_ "__Looks like your finally back to me, my little worthless stress relief." My mother whispered in my ear. I could feel her nails digging into my skin, drawling blood. _

_ "__No!" I then ran. I ran as fast as I could. Running as far as possible, away from everything. Away from my mother and the judge, and Ms. Spencer and Mr. Wayne, and Shayera, and Wally. _

"Lyf! Lyf, wake up. Please, wake up!" I fluttered my eyes open and I saw Wally looking down at me. But I felt cold… so cold.

I looked around and I found myself in deep snow with nothing but white surrounding me.

"Wally… what… I…"

"You had a bad dream and started running in your sleep. I think we're in Antarctica right now." He informed as he lifted me up into his warm arms. With that, he sprinted back with me in his arms to his apartment.

I was back in bed and Wally was standing above me with concern.

"What was your dream about, Lyf?"

"My mother… she won. And I had to go back to her and you left and… and I just wanted to run away. It was terrible."

"I promise you that won't happen." Wally stated firmly. "Even if she miraculously wins, I won't just give up and leave you." He stated sternly.

I didn't know what to say to that. I just felt tears well up and I clutched Wally tightly, sobbing into his chest.

Wally hugged me back, stroking my hair gently, and rocking me back and forth gently. I fell asleep in his embrace and I didn't have any dreams or nightmares. Just sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry it took so long! School's been pretty hectic so I havent been able to write as much**

**L.L.A.P**

**~Laces**

Chpt.9

I wasn't expecting to see Mr. Wayne again until the court case, but Wally and Shayera got a call about some sort of work that they needed to do, which meant that Mr. Wayne was going to watch me.

I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the man. He seemed nice but he appeared very serious and intimidating in a way. Almost like he was this big massive shadow that wasn't necessarily bad but held a lot of darkness anyway.

Instead of staying at Wally's while with Mr. Wayne, I was going to stay at the hotel room the man was staying at.

I followed Mr. Wayne into the lavished Hotel and I made sure to stick closely by his side, feeling uneasy. The place was so big and busy, I usually made sure to avoid big crowds because of how uneasy they made me feel.

"Are you feeling alright, Lyf?" Mr. Wayne inquired and I quickly nodded.

"I'm fine. Just… I dunno… but I'm fine."

"You don't know what?"

"I dunno how I feel. It's like… almost like I'm nervous but not… it's weird." I explained and Mr. Wayne looked me over with concern.

"Are you feeling scared?"

"A little bit." I admitted while the two of us stepped into an elevator with smooth tile floor and mirrors all on the sides that were absolutely spotless.

"Lyf, I promise you that you will be safe. I won't let what your mother did to you happen again and neither will Wally." He explained, his voice was serious but gentle.

"Thank you, Sir."

The two of us approached a door and Mr. Wayne slipped out a key card from his pocket. However, he didn't open the door right away.

"For warning, my two sons came along with me. If they get too loud or ask to many questions or anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, just say so, and they'll know to give you some space. Alright?"

"A-Alright." I nodded and then Mr. Wayne swung the door open.

The room was huge with flowing curtains and two beds that looked like the size of a truck. The carpets looked smooth and the room itself was open and large.

_This hotel room looks like a palace. _I thought as I stared at the area.

Sitting at a desk was a boy with straight black hair that looked like it was getting a bit long. He was typing away at a computer with fingers going a mile a minute. Since his back was facing me, I couldn't see much else from him. At a table in the room was an older boy with short black hair that was more wavy and he was eating a bowl of Lucky Charms. His eyes were a really light blue and he looked fairly muscular unlike the boy at the computer who was toned, but looked more lanky.

"Bruce, you're back." The boy with the Lucky charms smiled as he stood up from his spot. His eyes then rested on me.

"And are you Lyf?" he inquired and I slowly and nervously nodded my head. He stuck out his hand for me to shake and I did so, shaking his hand.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Lyf. My name's Dick. The dork over there who hasn't even realized that anyone's in the room is Tim."

"Huh?" the other boy at the computer, Tim, looked up from his work once hearing his name.

"We have company Timbo." Dick beamed and Tim was quickly up from the computer and smiled at me.

"Hello, you're Lyf, right? It's nice to meet you." Tim was smiling apologetically and I couldn't help but smile back at him and at Dick. They both seemed much more bright than Mr. Wayne. I found that pretty interesting how different they both seemed compared to the older man. Since they were Mr. Wayne's sons I thought they were going to be just as serious and slightly scary as the older man was. But then again, I wasn't much like my mother, so I supposed that I could understand the difference.

"Since Wally had some League business Lyf is going to be staying here until he gets back." Mr. Wayne stated and just as the words left his mouth, his hand went to his ear where I assumed there was a COM link.

He stood for a moment, and then his eyes narrowed.

"I have to go." He stated, looking at Dick. "Things got more serious. I'm going to need you to look after Lyf, Dick."

"Can do." Dick nodded. Mr. Wayne then looked over at me.

"I'm sorry Lyf, but something's come up. I'll be back soon and Dick is going to look after you, alright?"

"O-Okay." I nodded and watched as the man hurriedly left the room. I didn't know how I felt with all these people leaving so urgently.

"Don't worry, squirt. He'll be back soon." Dick stated, ruffling the hair on my head and giving me a comforting smile. "In the meantime, do you want some Lucky Charms?" I found myself slowly grinning and nodded,

"Yes Please."

~*~*~*~*~Later~*~*~*~*~

"Uno." I giggled and Tim shook his head.

"You have the best luck in this game." Dick and Tim had taught me how to play a card game called Uno and I had won the past three games. Tim kept on insisting on a rematch so we kept playing.

"Lyf, are you sure you're not cheating?" Tim questioned, but his tone was light and joking.

"I'm positive. I'm just lucky." I giggled but Dick stated,

"I dunno. We can't really be too sure if you're cheating without us knowing." Dick and Tim then shared a look with a small devious smirk on their faces.

"I think we should interrogate her." Tim smiled and I was completely confused.

"What?" next thing I knew Dick's hands went to my armpit as Tim's went to my stomach and it took no time for me to be a giggling mess.

"No fair!" I exclaimed as I continued to laugh and squirm. "There's- Hahahaha! Only one-haha! One of me and two- two of you!"

"That's what happens when you win too many times at Uno." Dick stated as they continued tickling me. I felt tears welling up in the corners of my eyes from laughing so hard, however suddenly Dick and Tim stepped away from me as I was left laying on my side with remnants of giggles still bubbling out of me.

I looked up at them to see why they stopped when I noticed the look of horror and worry on their faces.

"What?" I questioned, looking between the two. I then looked to where their eyes were fixated. My shirt had rode up slightly during the tickle match and there was that ugly mark on my body stating that ugly word. _Worthless_.

I froze when I saw that word, and looked back up at Dick and Tim, who were still staring at me.

"Lyf-" Dick began, but that's when I panicked. I panicked and then I ran.

I sprinted out of the hotel and through the busy city streets until I reached the woods where I had used to stay when I had first ran away.

In the safety of the woods, that's where I let myself cry and shake. Since I was alone in the woods, I felt like it would be okay if I cried there, where no one would have to see me and think I was weak. I hated that scar and I hated that word carved into me and I hated my mother and I found that I hated myself as well.

I sobbed for several minutes, letting all the tears out. I then took deep breaths, trying to get my brain to work again and not focus on awful memories.

_Wait. I just left Dick and Tim! _I realized my mistake and swiftly sprinted back to the building to see Dick and Tim scrambling around the hotel room with worry.

"Thank God you're back!" Dick exclaimed in relief. "Bruce would've killed me if I lost you." He then gave me a strong hug. "How are you feeling? Are you alright? We didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Why would your mother carve something awful like that into you? How-"

"Dick. Shut up." Tim whispered and I found tears streaking my face again. Dick looked down and saw me crying, his eyes softening immediately. I felt him hug me tighter, close to his chest.

"Lyf, shhh. You're okay." He whispered gently.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't cry. It's stupid-"

"It's not stupid." Tim stated. Dick led me to the couch where I sat in-between the two, but Dick was still hugging my tightly.

"Feel free to let stuff out around us, alright?" Dick smiled at me. "We all have some troubling pasts and experiences. That's why we stick together, because that's how we'll get through it."

"Did your mom beat you too?" I inquired, honestly curious if he was or even Tim. I had never met anyone who had gone through the same thing as me. Dick and Tim frowned but didn't look upset. Only sad.

"Well, no." Dick sighed. "But my parents were both murdered, the same with Tim's parents. We've also been in our fair share of fights that can get physical. What I'm saying is, we can help. If you even need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on, Tim and I'll always be there. Just give us a call." Dick grinned.

"Now, wanna watch a movie, Lyf? Have you ever seen Hercules?" Tim inquired, trying to move onto a happier subject.

"I've never seen Hercules but the name sounds cool." I stated with a small smile, and Tim quickly put the disk in and played the movie.

It was nice sitting next to Dick and Tim. Dick reminded me a lot of Wally since he was so nice and smiled a lot and even looked about the same age. Tim was also really nice and he felt like an older brother that I never had. The two of them made me feel so welcomed and I couldn't believe that there were people like this on Earth while I was being tormented by my mother.

I liked Hercules a lot. I especially liked the muses who sung the entire time and narrated the story. Some of the songs even got stuck in my head.

"That movie was so good!" I smiled once it was over.

Just then the door creaked open and Mr. Wayne slugged into the room. He looked exhausted with a black eye and several bruises.

"Mr. Wayne! Are you alright?" I questioned, running over to the man and he nodded.

"Fine. Just got more rough than I thought." He answered shortly.

"You could have called me in if it was that rough." Dick stated from behind me and Mr. Wayne shook his head.

"We handled it. That's all that matters." I was really confused what was going on and Mr. Wayne seemed to pick up on that. "It's nothing you should worry about, Lyf. Now, I can take you back to Wally. He's going to be at his apartment soon. Sound good?" he questioned.

"Yeah… yes it does. Thank you." I then looked over and Dick and Tim. Both of them smiled and gave me a tight hug.

"We'll see you soon." Dick grinned. With a wave, I was headed back to Wally's apartment. I enjoyed the day with Dick and Tim despite my crying outburst, but I was happy that I could see Wally again. I really missed him, and I hoped that he wouldn't be as injured as Mr. Wayne was. I didn't like thinking about the possibility of Wally getting hurt.


End file.
